Say Cheese!

Cheese plates don’t have to be complicated!  A little salty, a little sweet, and a couple of tasty extras is all you’ll need to impress your guests!

 

The Cheese

First, you’ll need to pick your cheeses. For a good variety, start with one hard, one soft, one aged, and one blue.

Hard cheeses have a low moisture content, making the flavor more pronounced. Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano are both common hard cheeses.

Soft cheese is smooth and creamy, great for spreading on a piece of bread. Look for brie, camembert, or feta.

Aged cheeses spend at least 6 months in cellar or cave. They develop more sharpness through the aging process. Popular picks include aged cheddar, gruyere, and manchego.

Blue cheese is named for the blue tint or flecks found throughout the cheese. That blue is an edible mold that comes from Penicillium spores. Roquefort and Stilton are both blue cheeses.

 

The Extras

You’ll need something to put under that cheese! Layout a couple of cracker options, like a simple water cracker and a more complex seeded cracker. If you have a soft, spreadable cheese, consider including baguette slices. They won’t break under the knife.

Cheese and crackers are salty, so we want to balance all that salt out with something sweet or tangy. A small dish of Green Way Organic Honey, or Foodtown Strawberry or Apricot Preserves, will make a tasty addition.

Or set out real honeycomb on your cheese plate. Honeycomb is completely edible and will be an unusual treat for your guests!

You can also add fresh fruit. Apples, pears, figs, and berries all pair beautifully with cheese.

Round out your cheese plate with cured meats like salami and prosciutto, crunchy almonds, whole grain mustard, and green and black olives. Done!

 

Pick up everything you need for a delicious cheese platter at your local Foodtown store. Remember to download our digital coupons and view our Weekly Circular for extra savings!